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Monday, June 16, 2014

Why Groups and Programs Struggle

Because living in community and fellowship with one another is a complicated, challenging task.

We want changes made. But we don’t like to change.

We want new and improved materials and resources. But we don’t want to pay for them.

We want authority as teachers/tutors/leaders/coaches. But we want control as parents (or individuals).

We don’t want to volunteer. But we don’t want to pay others for their contributions.

We don’t want anyone to work less than we do. But we are oblivious when others work more.

We expect others to show up and pay up (on time!) for commitments. But we want flexibility to bow out of ours.

We don’t want to follow. But we expect others to accept our leadership.

We don’t want to listen. But we sure like to talk.

We expect to receive grace for our humanness. But we struggle to give it to others.

We want passion and commitment. But we accuse others of “drinking the kool-aid.”

We want everyone (us) to be included in decision-making. But that doesn’t include the person sitting next to us who would make the opposite one.

(We want more support. We want more freedom. We want more science. We want more history. We want more discussion. We want more productivity. We want quality. We want quantity. We want rigorous. We want to slow down. We want depth. We want breadth. We want popcorn. Popcorn is for heathens. (That last one is for Pastor James.))

We avoid honest, grace-filled communication with our flesh-and-blood community. But we spew words at the faceless on social media.

We don’t like dialectic tension. We don’t like give and take.

We fail to see each other as individual souls made in the image of our Creator.

[“We” in this post describes me, but by God’s grace I will grow and learn and practice being in community.]

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